Toilet flushing mechanism

ABSTRACT

A toilet flushing mechanism or flow control, including a lift rod carrying a bulb valve, a hand lever disposed on the outside of the water tank with linkage connecting the hand lever to the lift rod. Means is provided for restricting hand lever movement when desired to secure a limited water outflow, such means being shiftable to then secure full outflow. A balanced lever is provided to engage under stops on the lift rod to hold the same elevated. And said lever is tripped by the rod that carried a ball float, allowing the lift rod and its bulb valve to close and shut off the water flow.

[ TOILET FLUSHING MECHANISM [76] Inventor: William Girten, 805 S. W. 20th St.,

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 33315 221 Filed: May 5,1971

21 Appl. No.: 140,495

2,626,401 1/1953 Blair 4/67 R 2,724,838 11/1955 Wirth et al.... 4/67 A 2,744,261 8/1956 Gram 4/67 A 3,091,775 6/1963 Himmalrick 4/67 R 3,093,833 6/1963 Nardona 4/67 A 1 July 17, 1973 3,365,730 l/1968 Chiappetta 4/67 A 1,992,381 2/1935 Lyons 4/67 A 2,526,294 10/1950 Stageman 4/37 X 2,674,744 4/1954 White 4/37 X Primary Examiner1-1enry K. Artis Attorney-Erwin A. Yaeger 57 ABSTRACT A toilet flushing mechanism or flow control, including a lift rod carrying a bulb valve, 21 hand lever disposed on the outside of the water tank with linkage connecting the hand lever to the lift rod. Means is provided for restricting hand lever movement when desired to secure a limited water outflow, such means being shiftable to then secure full outflow. A balanced lever is provided to engage under stops on the lift rod to hold the same elevated. And said lever is tripped by the rod that carried a ball float, allowing the lift rod and its bulb valve to close and shut off the water flow.

5 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTED 3,745.591

sum 2 or. 2

W/ZZ/HM G/FTf/V INVENTOR.

BY emf- TOILET FLUSHING MECHANISM This invention relates to flushing apparatus or flow control particularly adapted for use in toilets, and more particularly to the valve means which controls the outflow of the flushing water into the toilet bowl. It is an object of the invention to provide a means of this kind which will be of a strong and reliable character; which will be of such construction that it will regulate as desired, the amount of water outflow for each flushing operation; which can be readily installed in most toilets now in use and which will effectively operate for long periods of use.

In most toilets presently in use, considerable waste of water takes place and primarily because of the fact that the flushing away of liquids only, as distinguished from solid matter, requires only a relatively small amount of the flushing water. For example, for a liquid, flush approximately 7 quarts of water is sufficient, yet most toilets may use approximately over seventeen quarts for the purpose.

It is therefore one of the objects of the present invention to provide a means by which a relatively small amount of the flushing water can be used when it is desired to flush away only fluids, and an increased amount of the water can be used when it is desired to flush away some solid matter.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein an illustrative embodiment of the invention is disclosed,

FIG. I is a top plan view of a toilet-flushing mechanism constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the same, and

FIG. 3 is an end view of the same.

In the drawings a conventional water-holding tank associated with a toilet is indicated at 7 and the flushing mechanism is contained therein in the known manner. At 8 is shown the operating handle or hand lever that is exposed on the outside of the tank for manipulation to raise the bulb valve 12 from its seat 20, and permit the flow of water out of the tank 7 into the toilet bowl.

The handle or lever 8 is connected to one end of a lever 9 which has its opposite end pivotally connected to a link 10 which is provided at one end with a loop 10a fitted around the valve rod 11 under the lock nuts 6 that are threadably adjustable on the rod 11. It is obvious from the above that the manual depression of the handle or lever 8 will, through the medium of the lever 9 and link 10, raise the rod 11 to the position indicated in dotted lines in FIG. 2, and thus lift the valve from its seat and permit the flow of water from the tank 7 into the toilet bowl.

The overflow pipe is shown at 18 and fitted on this pipe adjacent to its upper end, is a guide 2 for the rod 11 which is vertically slidable through the guide 2. The guide 2 is bifurcated at one end, as shown at 21 and the screw 19 passing through the bifurcated end holds the guide securely on the overflow pipe 18.

Pivotally mounted at 22 on the guide 2, is a yokeshaped lever 3 which-has its yoked end 24 straddling the upper portion of the rod 11. Mounted on one end of the lever 3 is one or more counter weights l4, operative to normally maintain the lever 3 in the full line position shown in FIG. 3.

The lever 3 is provided on its end remote from the counter weight 14, with a finger portion 25 which extends under the rod 16 that carries the ball float 15.

The operation of the described flushing mechanism is substantially as follows:-

An advantage of the instant device follows from the fact that a very substantial waste of water can be prevented by normally restricting the outflow during the flushing periods when a small amount is required such as when only liquid bowl contents are to be flushed away. For thus limiting the outflow, a stop arrangement is provided. The same includes a plate 13 pivotally mounted at 27, and having a projecting lug portion 28 at its lower end. The lug portion 28 lies in the path of swing of the handle or lever 8 while the plate 13 is in its vertical position as shown in FIG. 2. Thus, while the plate 13 is positioned as described, the swing of the handle or lever 8 will be restricted and only a relatively small amount, such as approximately 7 quarts of the flushing water, will flow out of the tank. When full outflow is required, the stop plate 13 may be swung out of the path of movement of the handle or lever 8 and the full swing of the handle may then be had with the consequent greater outflow of the water.

When the stopplate 13 is in its stopping position, or that shown in full lines in FIG. 2, and the handle 8 is de pressed, this will raise the rod 11 only high enough to allow the lever 3, aided byits counter weight 14, to engage under the lock nuts 4 that are threadably adjustable on the rod 11, thereby retaining the valve 12 only high enough from its seat, and with enough water pressure upon it to cause it to seat when the lever 3 ceases pressure under the lock nuts 4. This accomplishes when the ball float 15 through its attached rod 16, is'lowered sufficiently to trip the lever 3, thereby allowing the rod 11 to descend and valve 12 to close off the outlet 20.

Since the nuts 6 and 4 are threadably adjustable on the rod 11, they may be so positioned that the required amount of water, seven quarts for example, can be passed out of the tank. A suitably positioned guide member 17 for the rod 11, is provided on the overflow pipe 18.

The device is of simple, sturdy constrjction and can be installed by anyone handy with tools and can be fitted in many of the thousands in toilets presently in use. It may be economically made and sold; is of lasting construction and possesses numerous other advantages apparent to those skilled in this art.

What I claim is:-

1. A flow control mechanism for toilets comprising, a tank having a water outlet, a bulb valve for closing said outlet, a lift rod attached to the bulb valve, a pivoted hand lever, linkage coupling the hand lever to the a lift rod, movable means operative on the hand lever for permitting a limited swing of the hand lever and a restricted water flow to the outlet when said means is located in a first position, and said means being movable to a second position wherein it is out of the path of swing of the hand lever and will then permit the full swing of said lever and cause a resultant full flow of the water.

2. A flow control mechanism according to claim I, wherein the means that is operative on the hand lever to restrict but not wholly halt its swing, consists of a pivoted stop located in the path of swing of the hand lever to thereby limit its swing, and which stop is movable to one side of the path of the hand lever to thereby permit of the full swing of the same.

3. A flow control mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the pivoted stop is a swingable plate pivoted adjacent to one end having an extended lug portion lying in the path of swing of the hand lever and which the lift rod when the hand lever is pivotally moved, a ball float, a rod attached to the float, and a part on the counter-weighted lever situated to be able to be free from the lift rod when the ball float is lowered.

5. A flow control mechanism according to claim 4,

wherein the counter-weighted lever includes a yoke portion that takes under stops on the lift rod when the lift rod is raised and which becomes free from the stops when the ball float is lowered. 

1. A flow control mechanism for toilets comprising, a tank having a water outlet, a bulb valve for closing said outlet, a lift rod attached to the bulb valve, a pivoted hand lever, linkage coupling the hand lever to the lift rod, movable means operative on the hand lever for permitting a limited swing of the hand lever and a restricted water flow to the outlet when said means is located in a first position, and said means being movable to a second position wherein it is out of the path of swing of the hand lever and will then permit the full swing of said lever and cause a resultant full flow of the water.
 2. A flow control mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the means that is operative on the hand lever to restrict but not wholly halt its swing, consists of a pivoted stop located in the path of swing of the hand lever to thereby limit its swing, and which stop is movable to one side of the path of the hand lever to thereby permit of the full swing of the same.
 3. A flow control mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the pivoted stop is a swingable plate pivoted adjacent to one end having an extended lug portion lying in the path of swing of the hand lever and which extended portion and plate are movable out of the path of swing of the hand lever.
 4. A flow control mechanism for toilets comprising, a tank having a water outlet, a bulb valve for closing said outlet, a lift rod attached to the bulb valve, guide means for the lift rod, stops adjustable on the lift rod to restrict its raising and lowering movements, a hand lever, linkage connecting the hand lever to the lift rod, an overflow pipe, a counter-weighted lever pivoted thereon, said counter-weighted lever being raised by the lift rod when the hand lever is pivotally moved, a ball float, a rod attached to the float, and a part on the counter-weighted lever situated to be able to be free from the lift rod when the ball float is lowered.
 5. A flow control mechanism according to claim 4, wherein the counter-weighted lever includes a yoke portion that takes under stops on the lift rod when the lift rod is raised and which becomes free from the stops when the ball float is lowered. 